CARBONETTI HOLDS ONE SHOT LEAD FROM
MASON IN SPANISH SENIORS EVENT
By GRAEME HAMLETT
Press Officer, European Seniors Tour
Luis Carbonetti holds a one-shot lead over Carl Mason at the OKI Castellόn Open de España Senior – and the Argentine admitted he will have to play just as well in Sunday's final round as he did in firing his Saturday 64, if he is to deny the Englishman a fifth win of a prolific 2007.
Overnight leader Mason added a four under par 68 to his opening 66 for a ten under par 134 total, but it was Carbonetti who produced the fireworks in Spain, recording nine birdies and dropping just one stroke, for his eight under par 64 and 11 under par 133 tally.
The 54 year old Carbonetti said of his round at the Club de Golf del Mediterraneo: “It was a fantastic day and the best I have played for a long time. The weather was perfect, the greens were rolling well and my putter was very good. I didn’t have a putt any longer than 10 feet to make, and it was a joy to make so many birdies.”
Yet Carbonetti, who has had six top ten finishes this season, is only too well aware of the challenge facing him as he bids to hold off Mason, who has won four times in 2007 and already captured the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit for the third time.
“Carl is always the man to beat, for every event! It will be a tough day, yes,” he admitted. “I haven’t played too many times in the last group, so I don’t know what my reaction will be.
“I will have to have good concentration and focus and try not to think about who is chasing me as the leader. There are lots of good players who are close, so I will have to try and play as well as I did today for my 64. But I am happy to be the leader and look forward to the final round.”
Mason was in cruise-control and on 12 under par until he bogeyed the 15th and 16th holes, and although he had birdie putts on the final two greens, was unable to make one that would have ensured a tie for the lead.
Nevertheless, Mason said: “I am happy with my day’s work. It was just a shame it got a little bit messy at the end, when I bogeyed 15 and 16, but they are tricky holes and I just made a couple of bad shots really.
“I then hit it on the par-5 17th in two shots but three-putted, which was annoying, but I am still playing well and of course, a fifth win of the year would be very nice.
“Luis played very well to shoot eight under and I’m looking forward to playing with him on Sunday. I know he said some very complimentary things about me and how much of a test he thinks it will be in the final round. Hopefully, I will give him a test and take the chances if they come my way.
“I’m enjoying this event. The weather is perfect, the course is in great shape and it’s a wonderful place to be playing golf.”
There are ten players within six shots of the lead. Chile’s Guillermo Encina and Australian’s David Good and Stewart Ginn are tied third on seven under par 137.
English duo Bob Cameron and Glenn Ralph, Italy’s Costantino Rocca and Scotland’s Sam Torrance are all one stroke further back on six under par 138 totals.

HOW THEY STAND
Par 144 (2 x 72)
133 L Carbonetti (Arg) 69 64;
134 C Mason (Eng) 66 68;
137 D Merriman (Aus) 71 66, S Ginn (Aus) 69 68, G Encina (Chl) 67 70;
138 B Cameron (Eng) 72 66, C Rocca (Ita) 71 67, Sam Torrance (Sco) 70 68, G Ralph (Eng) 69 69;
139 B Smit (RSA) 73 66, B Longmuir (Sco) 71, 68, J Quiros (Esp) 68 71;
140 E Darcy (Irl) 72 68, Ross Drummond (Sco) 70 70, J Mashego (RSA) 70 70, M Miller (Sco) 70 70, B Heuchan (Can) 69 71, D Good (Aus) 68 72;
141 N Job (Eng) 73 68, B Larratt (Eng) 72 69, J Benda (USA) 71 70, H Carbonetti (Arg) 71 70, E Rodriguez (Esp) 67 74.
142 A Murray (Eng) 71 71.
143 DJ Russell (Eng) 72 71, J Anglada (Esp) 71 72, T Allen (Eng) 71 72, J Rivero (Esp) 71 72, D Cambridge (Jam) 69 74, G Watine (Fra) 68 75.
144 T Johnstone (Zim) 72 72, A Fernandez (Chl) 69 75, K Spurgeon (Eng) 70 74;
145 M Pinero (Esp) 75 70, A Garrido (Esp) 75 70, V Garcia (Esp) 74 71, J Chillas (Sco) 74 71, M Bembridge (Eng) 73 72, M Poxon (Eng) 72 73, P Oakley (USA) 71 74, D Johnson (USA) 72 73, GJ Brand (Eng) 72 73, J Bruner (USA) 72 73, G Cali (Ita) 71 74, D Durnian (Eng) 71 74, J Rhodes (Eng) 70 75.
146 JP Sallat (Fra) 73 73, B Lincoln (RSA) 74 72, J Hall (Eng) 77 69, P Dugeny (Fra) 73 73, N Clarke (RSA) 77 69, G Townhill (Eng) 69 77.
147 H Woodrome (USA) 74 73, R Stelten (USA) 73 74, A Sowa (Arg) 73 74, D O’Sullivan (Irl) 73 74, I Mosey (Eng) 73 74, T Gale (Aus) 72 75, T Charnley 75 72, JM Canizares (Esp) 75 72, T Dill (USA) 73 74.
148 T Rastall (Eng) 74 74.
149 J Heggarty (NIr) 73 76, M Gray (Sco) 76 73;.150 J Lapsley (Nzl) 78 72;
151 S Martin (Sco) 75 76;
152 T Horton (Eng) 75 77, B Hardwick (Can) 74 78.
153 E Polland (NIr) 75 78, R Mann (Eng) 77 76.
155 T Gideon (Ger) 80 75.
161 G Hopkins (USA) 76 85.